Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-01-22
.LI1TLE DANDY !"

.LI1TLE DANDY !"
The Brave act OF an EfsninArs Youns
Soldier.
Atlanta Constitution.
s.Littie Dandy" the boys called him.
He joined our company in Vicksburs
|just before the siege, and none Of uf
felt enough interest in him to make any
inquiries. His extreme youth, he was
labout 15, would have excited our sym
pathy under other circumstances, but
the war worn veterans In the trenches
had no use for the curled .darlings Of
the parlor, and Little Daady's appear
ance was against him.
The lad wore the gray uniform Of q
private, but it was of the very finest ma
terial, finer than anything worn by our
generals. His buttons had an unsol-
dierly glitter. He sported white handker-
chiefs, carried pocket mirror, and every
morning he combed and curled his gold
en- locks Until they looked like a girls
tresses.
'Hello, Little Dandy" yelled the SOL
diers whenever the young fellow passed
them.
To this rough salutation he always
responded with bow and smile, but his
soft ways did not win favor. When we
met him in town we passed him by with
out notice, and in camp we let him
alone. Little Dandy was proud after q
fashion too proud to notice the many
sights heaped upon him. He went
through his routine duties without COM
plant, but nothing could induce him to
abandon lis pocket mirror and his fancy
toilets.
The siege was well under way, and we
were no better acquainted with Little
Dandy than at first. He shared our
meals of moldy corn bread and mule
meat without a murmur, and it must be
admitted that this somewhat raised him
in our estimation. But we still had to
learn what true heart beat behind those
glittering buttons.
An angle of the enemy 8 works was
dangerously close to our intrenchments,
and we had to keep our heads well shell
tered. When we raised hat on the
muzzle of musket it was invariably
riddled with bullets. One morning we
found our men being picked off by the
unseen sharp shooter, at the rate of five
or six an hour. This astonisbed us be-
cause we were all keeping under cover,
and the men who were killed all occu-
pied we'll protected positions.
Where was the sharpshooter? This
was the uppermost question in every
mind. We were not long in satisfying
ourselves on this point. Just outside
the angle of the federal works stood
giant oak, whose leafy top afforded an
admirable covert for an active rifeman
A vigilant scrutiny convinced us that the
man who was doing such deadly work
in our ranks was concealed in this tree
To reach it he must have made his way
there during the night, and he would
have to remain there all day. But We
ould not stand it even one day. His
aim was so unerring that every time
his rife cracked confederate bit the
dust. We tried a rafting discharge of
but moment later the report
of the rife rang out and another OF our
comrades fell.
It was evident that from our position |
it was almost impossible to hit the fed
eral rifeman. If we succeeded in bring
ing him down it would be some lucky
random shot. Possibly man outside
the works would be able to draw bead
On our wary foeman, but he would be
under the guns of the enemy, and there
would be thousand chances against him.
I'll kill him or die p cried shrill
voice.
"Good God It's Little Dandy !"
shouted dozen men.
At the risk of our lives we peeped over
our breastworks.
Little Dandy had already made his
way to the open space between the works
md wac edging around on the right Of
he tree. The federals saw what he was
lp to and fred broadside. When the
moke cleared away and they saw the
10Y with flushed face and streaming
lair aiming his gun at the top of the old
'ak, there was tremendous cheer. Tt
oiled along both lines, the hoarse feder-
j shout mingling with the wild ''rebel
vell."
Bang!
A man in blue came trembling and
rashing through the branches of the
rec, and struck the earth with q dull
bud.
It was the sharpshooter (!
Another cheer rent the cir, but this
ime it came from the confederates alone.
sheet Of fame blazed along the federal
FORKS, but when the smoke lifted we saw {
little Dandy coming full tilt in our di- !
ection with smile on his face.
"Three cheers for Little Dandy p
saped from hundreds of throats, as the
oy vsulted over the breastworks and
re rushed upon him to hug Linn in our
renzy of admiration and JOY. But Little
handy sank down on heap of loose
= 4 Il